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Nar Phu Valley Trek Itinerary

Two hidden Tibetan-style villages and the Kang La pass, beside the Annapurna Circuit. A 12-day plan from Kathmandu with daily stops, altitudes and walking times, an altitude profile, warnings and permits. Pick your start date and add it to your calendar.

Duration

12 days

8 walking, from Kathmandu

Highest point

5,320 m

Kang La

Difficulty

Strenuous

Annapurna (Nar Phu, restricted area)

Best months

March to May + October to November

Spring and autumn

Restricted area. You need a permit arranged through a registered trekking agency and a licensed guide. You cannot trek here independently.
Planning guide, not a substitute for a guide. Altitudes and walking times are compared from several operator itineraries and differ between sources by 10 to 150 m and by an hour or more. Weather, trail damage and road changes alter plans. Confirm your route, permits and fees with a licensed agency or guide.

Plan your dates

Add rest or spare days

Altitude profile

The height you sleep at each night. Dots: green rest day, amber and red a bigger climb than the usual guideline. Triangles mark the highest point of a day.

0k1k2k3k4k5k6k3,000 m: altitude guidelines startHimlung Base Camp excursion: about 4,900 mKang La: about 5,320 mDay 1: Dharapani, about 1,950 mDay 2: Koto, about 2,630 mDay 3: Dharmasala, about 3,290 mDay 4: Kayang, about 3,570 mDay 5: Phu Village, about 4,200 mDay 6: Phu Village, about 4,200 mDay 7: Nar Phedi, about 3,820 mDay 8: Nar Village, about 4,150 mDay 9: Nar Village, about 4,150 mDay 10: Ngawal, about 3,660 mDay 11: Chame, about 2,710 mDay 12: Kathmandu, about 1,400 m123456789101112Day

2 days climb faster than the usual guideline (about 500 m a night above 3,000 m, and a rest day roughly every 1,000 m). This is common on the standard route. Go slowly, drink plenty, and add the rest days above if you can.

Day by day

  1. Day 1

    Kathmandu to Dharapani

    Sleep: Dharapani · about 1,950 m (sources: 1,860 to 2,113 m)7 to 9 h by road via Besisahar, with a jeep on the upper section

    A long drive up the Marsyangdi valley. Permits are checked on the way.

  2. Day 2

    Dharapani to Koto

    Sleep: Koto · about 2,630 m (sources: 2,600 to 2,670 m)Walking 5 to 7 h

    Follow the Annapurna Circuit trail to Koto, where the Nar Phu permit is checked.

  3. Day 3

    Koto to Dharmasala

    Sleep: Dharmasala · about 3,290 mWalking 5 hSleeping altitude +660 m

    Leave the circuit and follow the Phu Khola into a steep, narrow gorge. Some itineraries go straight to Meta (about 3,230 to 3,560 m) in one longer day.

    Your sleeping altitude rises about 660 m. The usual guideline above 3,000 m is no more than about 500 m a night.

  4. Day 4

    Dharmasala to Kayang

    Sleep: Kayang · about 3,570 m (sources: 3,570 to 3,830 m)Walking 5 hSleeping altitude +280 m

    Climb through the gorge to Kayang (also written Kyang). Sources disagree on its altitude by about 250 m.

  5. Day 5

    Kayang to Phu village

    Sleep: Phu Village · about 4,200 m (sources: 4,050 to 4,200 m)Walking 6 hSleeping altitude +630 m

    Enter the open valley, with the first views of Phu village and its old gompa.

    Your sleeping altitude rises about 630 m. The usual guideline above 3,000 m is no more than about 500 m a night.

  6. Day 6 · rest day

    Rest day at Phu

    Sleep: Phu Village · about 4,200 m (sources: 4,050 to 4,200 m)Reach Himlung Base Camp excursion · about 4,900 m

    Explore the village and monastery. An optional hike toward Himlung Base Camp reaches about 4,900 m. Return to sleep at Phu.

  7. Day 7

    Phu to Nar Phedi

    Sleep: Nar Phedi · about 3,820 m (sources: 3,490 to 4,150 m)Walking 4 to 6 h

    Head down the valley to Nar Phedi, where there is a lodge and a monastery. Sources give widely different altitudes.

  8. Day 8

    Nar Phedi to Nar village

    Sleep: Nar Village · about 4,150 m (sources: 4,110 to 4,206 m)Walking 3 to 4 hSleeping altitude +330 m

    A short climb to Nar village.

  9. Day 9 · rest day

    Rest day at Nar

    Sleep: Nar Village · about 4,150 m (sources: 4,110 to 4,206 m)

    Do not skip it. Rest and acclimatise before Kang La, which is a very long day.

  10. Day 10

    Nar over Kang La to Ngawal

    Sleep: Ngawal · about 3,660 m (sources: 3,360 to 3,675 m)Walking 8 to 10 hReach Kang La · about 5,320 m (sources: 5,130 to 5,322 m)

    A long day: about 6 to 7 hours up to the pass, then 3 to 4 hours down. Start before dawn. Snow on the pass makes it much longer, so turn back in bad weather. Sources give Kang La between 5,130 and 5,322 m.

  11. Day 11

    Ngawal to Chame

    Sleep: Chame · about 2,710 m (sources: 2,620 to 2,710 m)Walking 6 to 7 h

    Rejoin the Annapurna Circuit. A shorter option goes to Manang (about 3 h from Ngawal) and continues over Thorong La.

  12. Day 12

    Chame to Kathmandu

    Sleep: Kathmandu · about 1,400 mAbout 10 to 12 h by road (jeep to Besisahar, then a drive to Kathmandu)

    A very long travel day. Many groups split it with a night in Besisahar.

Permits

  • Nar Phu Restricted Area Permit, arranged only through a registered trekking agency (your original passport is needed for processing)
  • Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)
  • A licensed guide is required. Confirm the current permit list, fees and any group-size rule with the agency

Fees and rules change, so this page does not quote prices. Check the current fee with your agency or the permit office.

Altitude sickness basics

  • Above 3,000 m, raise your sleeping altitude by no more than about 500 m a night, and rest about every 1,000 m of climbing.
  • Headache, nausea, dizziness and unusual tiredness are early signs. Do not go higher with symptoms.
  • If symptoms get worse, or you feel confused or unsteady, go down immediately.
  • Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol and do not travel alone. Ask a doctor about medication before you go.

General information, not medical advice.

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Nar Phu Valley Trek Itinerary from Kathmandu

The Nar Phu Valley is a remote, high valley north of the Annapurna Circuit, with the Tibetan-style villages of Phu and Nar, old monasteries and dramatic gorges. The valleys were closed to foreign trekkers until the early 2000s, and they are still much quieter than the circuit.

The trek leaves the circuit at Koto, climbs the Phu Khola gorge to Phu village, crosses to Nar and then goes over Kang La (about 5,320 m) to Ngawal and the circuit near Manang. Altitudes differ a lot between sources, especially for Nar Phedi (3,490 to 4,150 m) and Kang La (5,130 to 5,322 m).

Day-by-day itinerary (12 days)

  1. Day 1: Kathmandu to Dharapani. Sleep at Dharapani (about 1,950 m). 7 to 9 h by road via Besisahar, with a jeep on the upper section.
  2. Day 2: Dharapani to Koto. Sleep at Koto (about 2,630 m). Walking about 5 to 7 h.
  3. Day 3: Koto to Dharmasala. Sleep at Dharmasala (about 3,290 m). Walking about 5 h.
  4. Day 4: Dharmasala to Kayang. Sleep at Kayang (about 3,570 m). Walking about 5 h.
  5. Day 5: Kayang to Phu village. Sleep at Phu Village (about 4,200 m). Walking about 6 h.
  6. Day 6: Rest day at Phu. Sleep at Phu Village (about 4,200 m). Reach Himlung Base Camp excursion (about 4,900 m).
  7. Day 7: Phu to Nar Phedi. Sleep at Nar Phedi (about 3,820 m). Walking about 4 to 6 h.
  8. Day 8: Nar Phedi to Nar village. Sleep at Nar Village (about 4,150 m). Walking about 3 to 4 h.
  9. Day 9: Rest day at Nar. Sleep at Nar Village (about 4,150 m).
  10. Day 10: Nar over Kang La to Ngawal. Sleep at Ngawal (about 3,660 m). Walking about 8 to 10 h. Reach Kang La (about 5,320 m).
  11. Day 11: Ngawal to Chame. Sleep at Chame (about 2,710 m). Walking about 6 to 7 h.
  12. Day 12: Chame to Kathmandu. Sleep at Kathmandu (about 1,400 m). About 10 to 12 h by road (jeep to Besisahar, then a drive to Kathmandu).

Altitudes and walking times are compared from several operator itineraries and differ between sources. Confirm your route, permits and fees with a licensed agency or guide.

Best time

Spring (March to May) and autumn (October to November) are the best seasons. Autumn has the clearest skies and is the busiest. Spring is warmer, with rhododendrons in bloom, but afternoon cloud is common. June to August is monsoon, and December to February is cold with snow at height. Kang La can hold deep snow, which makes the crossing much longer and harder.

Permits

  • Nar Phu Restricted Area Permit, arranged only through a registered trekking agency (your original passport is needed for processing)
  • Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)
  • A licensed guide is required. Confirm the current permit list, fees and any group-size rule with the agency

Altitude sickness

Above 3,000 m, raise your sleeping altitude by no more than about 500 m a night and rest about every 1,000 m of climbing. Do not go higher with symptoms, and descend if they get worse. This is general information, not medical advice.

Frequently asked questions

How many days is the Nar Phu Valley Trek from Kathmandu?

This plan takes 12 days from Kathmandu back to Kathmandu, with 8 days of walking and the rest for travel and rest. Itineraries from operators vary, and you can add extra rest days on the page.

How high does the Nar Phu Valley Trek go?

The highest point most itineraries reach is Kang La, at about 5,320 m.

What is the best time for the Nar Phu Valley Trek?

March to May and October to November. Spring (March to May) and autumn (October to November) are the best seasons. Autumn has the clearest skies and is the busiest. Spring is warmer, with rhododendrons in bloom, but afternoon cloud is common. June to August is monsoon, and December to February is cold with snow at height. Kang La can hold deep snow, which makes the crossing much longer and harder.

Do I need a permit for the Nar Phu Valley Trek?

Nar Phu Restricted Area Permit, arranged only through a registered trekking agency (your original passport is needed for processing). Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP). A licensed guide is required. Confirm the current permit list, fees and any group-size rule with the agency. A licensed guide is required in this restricted area. Fees change, so confirm the current amounts with your agency.

Do I need a permit and guide for Nar Phu?

Yes. Nar Phu is a restricted area. The permit is arranged through a registered trekking agency, you need your original passport for it, and sources say registered guides are required. You also need the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit.

How high is Kang La?

About 5,320 m, though sources give between 5,130 and 5,322 m. It is not technical in good conditions, but snow can make the crossing very long and hard.

How many days is the Nar Phu trek?

This plan takes 12 days from Kathmandu back to Kathmandu, with rest days at Phu and Nar. Operators offer 10 to 15 day versions, and you can extend it over Thorong La.